and RAYMOND AFRICA
THE police and military institutions have gone into high gear in strictly implementing lockdown guidelines imposed to reduce the spread of the infectious novel coronavirus.
On Tuesday, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año ordered the immediate arrest of persons who will be caught violating the ECQ.
Año, a member of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), said President Duterte has “ordered us to implement strictly the remaining days of the quarantine” which is set to end on April 30.
“We are on the last stretch of the ECQ and we want to really implement it (strictly)… That’s why deployed even the SAF (Special Action Force),” said Año, adding the martial law-type ECQ will be implemented only in “problem areas.”
PNP chief Archie Gamboa has ordered the deployment of 12 teams of SAF commandos composed of 116 men to at least 10 key areas of Metro Manila where incidents of ECQ violations are high.
Gamboa said the deployment of the SAF commandos signaled the start of a stricter implementation of the ECQ throughout the Luzon region, with emphasis to Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Southern Tagalog regions.
“Foremost, there will be no more warning for ECQ violators. Instead arrest and inquest procedures will be applied to cases of violation of RA 11332 (law on Reporting Communicable Diseases), as well as Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code (Resistance and Disobedience to a Person in Authority),” he said.
Año said: “The order is arrest anyone violating the quarantine, mag-prepare kayo ng malaking kulungan (prepare big jails) and let them (violators) suffer the inconvenience.”
Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said 300 soldiers — 200 on Monday and 100 on Tuesday — have been deployed to troublesome areas in the metropolis.
“This is just an initial augmentation, and this is in response to the request of local governments concerned,” Arevalo said, adding the military will deploy more troops “if the people will not observe discipline and order.”
Arevalo said 800 military reservists have also been deployed — 500 to Quezon City and Manila on Monday and 300 to Pasay City, Paranaque City, Taguig City and Pateros town yesterday.
The PNP has recorded a total of 136,517 ECQ violations the past 35 days of the lockdown period, which started on March 17. Of the number 98,986 were merely warned; 6,168 were fined; and 31,363 were arrested.
Gamboa said in Metro Manila, the Southern Police District recorded the most number of ECQ violations from March 17 to April 20 with 15,475; followed by Northern Police District with 7,407; next are Eastern Police District and Quezon City Police District with more than 2,000 violations each; and the Manila Police District with 1,714 violations recorded.
Gamboa said the problematic provinces were Davao and Cebu.
Arevalo said the reservists, who will be in complete military uniform and under the supervision of regular soldiers, will help LGUs in providing aid to the people. If needed, Arevalo said they can also assist in the “restoration of discipline and order.”
The AFP last week deployed 2,000 soldiers throughout the metropolis, assisting about 20,000 policemen in manning quarantine checkpoints and ensuring the limited movement of people.
Noting noted that the highest number of violations happen in food supply places, Año said the soldiers will be posted in private and public markets, grocery stores, supermarkets, urban poor communities, and other high-density areas.
Augmentation forces will be deployed to marketplaces like Blumentritt in Sta. Cruz, Manila; Libertad in Pasay City, Pasig Palengke, Napindan in Taguig City, Lower Bicutan also in Taguig City, Public market of Las Pinas City, North Caloocan, Alabang Public Market, Bagong Paranaque Public Market, and Marikina Public Market.
“That’s why we need the presence of uniformed enforcers. I talked to Secretary (Delfin) Lorenzana and we are deploying more troops from the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” said Año.
Año said Armed Forces chief Gen. Felimon Santos Jr. is preparing another battalion, composed of around 500 men, to augment PNP forces in checkpoints.
Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, Task Force COVID Shield commander, said the SAF commandos deployed were given specific instructions to arrest violators on sight.
He said SAF commandos are known for their toughness and integrity due to the training they have.
“So please, do not test their patience. As I have stated before, there will be no double standards in the implementation of our ECQ so regardless of your social status, you will be arrested if you violate the home quarantine,” Eleazar said.
Eleazar said the SAF commandos were divided into 12 teams, with each team composing eight members.
SAF director Maj. Gen. Amando Clifton Empiso said they have enough standby forces to augment the local police forces to ensure that the ECQ measures are being followed.
“Your SAF has always been in the frontline in any kind of battle, we are willing to do our share to win this fight against COVID-19, this time, in helping in the enforcement of the necessary measures to ensure that the virus is contained,” Empiso said.
CONDO VISIT
Año on Tuesday defended policemen who went inside a high-end condominium in Taguig City on Sunday to ensure the enforcement of ECQ guidelines, specifically social distancing, inside the establishment.
Reports indicate that the armed policemen allegedly shouted and threatened to arrest residents violating the ECQ rules, frightening the residents, including children, of the Pacific Plaza Towers.
One of the residents said there were about six families in the garden and were about six meters apart when the policemen came in. He said his children got scared by the loud shouting of the policemen.
Año said the policemen went inside the compound after the Taguig City government asked them to check reports that residents have been violating social distancing in the common areas of the condominium, particularly at the pool area.
“There was no gun toting, there was no wielding of arms. Our policemen went there because several people called up the city government that there are people violating the social distancing,” said Año, even as he confirmed reports that the cops had an altercation with the property manager during the incident.
“Condo owners cannot make their own rules. We are under public emergency, under the state of calamity. There is only one Republic of the Philippines, they are part of the Republic of the Philippines so they should respect the lawmen,” he stressed.
Año said the policemen may have erred for excessive shouting. “We will treat that separately, but you know, we need the cooperation of everybody when we implement the quarantine,” he said.
Año said no one is preventing the residents from getting sunlight but they should observe social distancing and should wear face masks at all times.
He also noted that the condominium common areas are considered public areas because these are open to all residents. “If they are going to file charges against our police, well that is welcome also because at least our personnel can defend themselves (in court), (there will be) due process,” he added.
